Quote Originally Posted by gavin View Post
The big thing about Warres is that you can't inspect comb. ..................................
The Warre enthusiasts say not to worry, our way of beekeeping gives you healthy bees which never come down with foulbrood. We've no way of knowing if that is true or not and I don't think that they do either. Even if it gives the bees some advantages I doubt that it will make them immune to disease - just almost immune to having that disease spotted.
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Warré keepers in Britain often point to France and Belgium saying that the Warré hive has been used there for much longer. Their implication is that the good health results are to be found in these countries. It has become irrelevant in practice, even if the theory is still going on in a *chase its tail* fashion. Since the arêté of 23/12/2009, ALL beekeepers in a zone where a contagious illness has been declared, are required to open their hives and present frames for inspection. This has complicated fixed comb beekeeping to the extent where many Warré keepers are now introducing 2 or 3 frames into the broodnest in the middle of each box. These frames can be removed for inspecting a sample of brood. Obviously this interferes with the idea of closed corridors between frames which,it is claimed, keep the atmosphere of the hive healthier. So a compromise. Enough to persuade Gavin to build his Warré?